2Department of MicroBiologyQuaid-i-AzamUniversity, Islamabad

The present
study deals with the local uses of 25 species belonging to 21 genera of the
family Asteraceae. Dir Kohistan valley has diverse habitats for the growth of
various medicinal plants. The local medicinal uses include painkiller,
diuretic, febrifuges, carminative, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory,
aphrodisiac, cardio tonic, tonic, stomachache, dyspepsia, jaundice, leprosy,
cough, asthma, ulcers, vomiting etc. People have strong faith in herbal
medication by ethnomedicinal plants and women are leading men in applying the
recipe for medication by these plants. Some of useful species are under
serious threat due to unsustainable activities. Hence, a proper documentation
of useful plants with their present status and local traditional knowledge as
well as practices is urgently needed. Effort should also be initiated to
implement appropriate conservation measures for preservation and sustainable
uses of these useful species.

����������� Kohistan,
the place of mountains, was called �Yaghistan� the land of rebels during the
British rule. It is a name applied to all hilly areas, such as Swat Kohistan,
Dir Kohistan and Indus Kohistan. Literally the word means "the place of
mountains" (Hamayun, 2005). The Kohistan under focus in this paper is
generally called "Dir Kohistan." The DirKohistanValley covers 140,351
acres of the coniferous forests situated between latitude 350-
9 to 350-47 and longitude 710-52 to
720-22 in the northern position of the watershed of Panjkora
river.

Ethnobotany in Pakistan

������������ Ethnobotany includes all sorts
of relationships between people and plants. The definition of ethnobotany can
be sum up in four words i.e. People, Plants, Interactions, and Uses.� The term ethnobotany was for the first time
used by John Harshberger in 1896. In the last 100 years, the science of
ethnobotany has progressed and the trend is shifting from mere documentation
process to a more practical one which emphasize on conservation and sustainable
use of plant resources.

Ethnobotanical work in Pakistan is in
its infancy. Only a few projects have been launched for documentation as well
as sustainable use of plant resources despite of the fact that Pakistan
presents very rich and diverse flora due to her diverse climatic, soil
conditions and multiple ecological regions. Pakistan has four
phytogeographical regions, the uniregionals, consisting of Irano-Turanian
(46%), Sino-Himalayan (10%), Saharo-Sindian (9.5%), and Indian element
(4.5%).� The country has about 6,000
species of wild plants of which about 400 to 600 are considered to be
medicinally important (Khan, 1991).

The northern areas of Pakistan with unique biodiversity due to the
presence of Himalayas, Karakorums and Hindu-Kush mountain ranges are under
tremendous pressure from locals because of illicit cutting of valuable
plants, poor collection and storage methods of medicinal plants, smuggling of
timber wood, over grazing, corrupt forest officials, illiterate population
with no sense or lust for conservation and above all passive and non
practical policies of Government as well as NGO,s� working in the area (Sher, 1998).

Methodology

� ��������� Research
work was carried out during July 2007 - August 2008 in the area of Dir
Kohistan (N.W.F.P). Field work was carried out in order to investigate the
existing ethnobotanical practices. During these trips different plant species of the family Asteraceae were collected,
dried, documented and were identified both by comparing them with
herbarium specimen and with the help of flora of Pakistan(Riedl,
1991; Choudhary et al., 2000).
The field work includes interviews, observations and guided field
walks/transects walks. Medicinal usage data
were collected from local people and practioner medical experts (hakims) that
practice medicine regularly. About 100 informants were interviewed in
this regard.

Enumeration

Botanical
name������������ �������� Achillea millefolium L.

Local name����������������
������������ Jarai

Habit������������������������� ������������ �Perennial herb

Parts used������������������ ������������ Whole plant

Local uses������������
����������������� �The plants contain a volatile oil, which is
a stimulant tonic and astringent, and stops intestinal bleeding. The whole plant
is used as a diuretic, a stimulant, for piles, cold and to stop perspiration.
Also used as fodder.

Local uses������ ����������������������� The fresh leaves are
bruised and applied to the wound as a plaster.

Botanical
name����������� ��������� Artemisia trichophylla Wall.exDC.

Local name�������������
��������������� Jaukay.

Habit�������������������
������������������ Herb.

Parts used�����������
������������������� Leaves and
shoots.

Local uses������������ ����������������� It is used as respiratory
stimulant, anathematic and purgative us used as a cure for earache and used
for burning. Shoots are used in making brooms for sweeping lawns and ropes of
houses and for construction of roofs.

Flowering season������������������� July-September

Botanical
name� ������������������� Artemisia
maritime L.

Local name����������������������������� Tarkha

Habit�������������������������������������� Herb

Parts used������������������������������� Leaves

Local uses������������������������������ Anthelminthic.
Also useful for curing skin diseases. Shoot is used as fodder. Brooms are
constructed for sweeping dirt from lawns.

Flowering season� ����������������� July-September

Botanical
name���������� ���������� Artemisia scoparia L.

Local name����������������
������������ Jawkay, Kamasla
tarkha

Habit��������������������������� ���������� Herb

Parts used����������������� ������������� Flowering head

Local uses ����������������������������� Used as anathematic, used as medicine against
malarial fever. Also used to make brooms.

Flowering season������������������� July-September

Botanical name��������������������� Artemisia absinthium
L.

Habit�������������������������������������� Herb

Parts used������������������������������� Whole
plant

Local uses������������������������������ It
is an aromatic tonic. It was formerly found as a high reputation in debility
of the digestive organs. The powdered herb in small amount mixed in soup,
will serve to relieve bilious melancholia and will help to disserve the
yellow hove of jaundice from skin.�

Flowering season������������������� July-September

Botanical
name���������� ���������� Bidens pilosa L.

Habit�������������������������������������� Shrub

Parts used������������������������������� Whole
plant����������������

Local uses������������������������������ Young
shots are used for treatment of rheumatism. The young leaves are used for
abdominal pain. Flower is remedy for diarrhea and infusion of the leaf and
root is remedy for colic.

Local
uses������������������������������ The
seeds are carminative in nature and also used as a cure for horse bite. Roots
is used as
tonic and useful in liver diseases, kidney and chest complaints.

Flowering season������������������� July-September

Botanical name:�������������������� Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch.

Family:����������������������������������� Asteraceae

Local name: ��������������������������� Minyal, Kuth

Habit:������������������������������������� Herb

Part Used:������������������������������ Root

Local uses������������������������������ Used to treat pains especially
arthritis.�

Botanical name��������������������� Senecio chrysanthemoides DC.

Family������������������������������������ Asteraceae

Local name ���������������������������� Kalay di Jar

Habit�������������������������������������� Herb

Part used�������������������������������� Rhizome

Local
uses������������������������������ Rhizome is used against
asthma and respiratory problems.

Botanical name��������������������� Senecio chrysanthemoides DC.

Local name����������������������������� Ghopga

Habit�������������������������������������� Herb

Parts used������������������������������� Flowers
and leaves

Local uses������������������������������ Flowers
are ornamental and poisonous. Leaves are used for emollient purpose.�

Botanical name��������������������� Sonchus asper L.

Family������������������������������������ Asteraceae
�����

Local name����������������������������� Shawda
pai

Habit�������������������������������������� Herb

Parts used������������������������������� Young
shoots and flowers

Local uses������������������������������ Its
decoction is used as a tonic, diuretic and for jaundice. Also used for curing
constipation and as fodder.

Flowering season������������������� March-
September

Botanical name��������������������� Taraxacum officinale Weber.

Local name ���������������������������� Ziar
Gulae

Habit�������������������������������������� Herb

Parts used������������������������������� Flower,
root and leaves

Local uses������������ ����������������� Its decoction is used as a
tonic, diuretic and for jaundice. Also used for curing constipation. It is
used against tumors.� It is purgative,
mild laxative, used as remedy for kidney and liver diseases. It is also helping
in the flow of bile. It is also ornamental plant

Flowering season������������������� Feb.-April

Botanical name��������������������� Xanthium strumarium L.

Local name����������������������������� Geskay

Habit�������������������������������������� Shrub

Parts used������������������������������� Leaves

Local uses������������������������������ Leaves
are applied for curing skin diseases. Leaf is also locally used for curing
malarial fever.�

Flowering
season������������������� March-September

Discussion

���� The
present study provides information on the indigenous uses of 25 important
ethnobotanically important plants belonging to Asteraceae family. The
important objective of this study was to record the indigenous uses of these
plants used by the local women for various purposes. The ethnobotanically
important plants are a source of income and cure for the local women. Local
people are using the plants for various purposes i.e., medication, food,
cosmetics, and fodder for the cattle. They have faith on these plants. The
ratio of the women using allopathic medicines is negligible because they are
directly dependent on plants for medication and other basic needs. The
ethnobotanically important and other beneficial plants are quite useful for
the basic health and hygiene of the local women. Local people are directly
dependent on these plants for cure of different diseases, food, skin care,
cosmetics and fodder for the cattle. These plants are a source of interaction
between the people and the natural resources of the area. It is very
important that the precious ethnobotanical knowledge about these plants
should be transferred to the younger generations. The data may be valuable in
the future for pharmacological studies.